Jackson Hole Ski Area Upgrade and Expansion, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Teton County, WY; Intent to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact

statement to analyze and disclose the effects of a proposal by the

Jackson Hole Ski Corporation (JHSC) to update the Master Plan for the

existing Jackson Hole Ski Area. The Jackson Hole Ski Area is located on

the Bridger-Teton National Forest within Teton County, Wyoming and is

presently under a Special Use Permit granted to the JHSC.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analyze should be received

by September 15, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Chuck Jones, District Ranger,

Jackson Ranger District, P.O. Box 1689, Jackson, Wyoming 83001. Oral

comments will also be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Questions regarding the proposed action

and EIS should be directed to Rick Anderson, Forest Planner, Bridger-

Teton National Forest, Jackson, Wyoming, phone (307) 739-5558.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Jackson Hole Ski Area currently operates

on the Bridger-Teton National Forest under an existing special use

permit and approved Master Plan. Jackson Hole Ski Corporation's

proposal for updating the Master Plan for Jackson Hole Ski Area

includes the upgrading of existing lifts; the addition of new lifts;

and the upgrading and expansion of the existing trail network;

snowmaking capabilities, Nordic facilities, and skier support

facilities. This proposal would increase Jackson Hole's Ski Area

comfortable carrying capacity from the present level of 3,500 to 7,690

skiers. However, this would be less than what is currently approved

under JHSC's existing Master Plan. All the upgrades and expansions

proposed on land administered by the FOREST SERVICE would occur within

Jackson Hole's Ski area existing Ski Area boundary.

Under the proposal, seven of Jackson Hole's Ski Area existing eight

chairlifts would be replaced with new equipment and five of these lifts

would be realigned. In addition, six new lifts, including an out-of

base gondola, would be added. Together with the lifts, new trails would

be added to increase the trail network from the present 905.3 acres to

1,015.7 acres. The upgrading of existing trails would account for 26 of

the 110.4 acres of new trails. Construction of new trails would account

for the remaining 84.4 acres. The new acreage will consist of terrain

for beginner, novice, and intermediate skiers. Furthermore, the Area's

snowmaking capabilities would be expanded to cover a total of 391.8

acres. This would be an increase of 325 acres over the existing

situation.

Jackson Hole's Ski Area Nordic skiing facility would be upgraded

and expanded to improve its quality and visibility. The network of

trails at the facility would be expanded to accommodate a broader range

of skier ability levels and provide a better diversity of terrain. As a

result, the trail network may be increased by 7 kilometers to a total

of 25 kilometers. Skier support facilities also would be upgraded and

expanded, primarily in the base area at Teton Village. On the mountain,

the Casper Restaurant would be expanded and three new mountain

restaurants and visitor facilities would be constructed. The existing

retail space, rental and repair shop, ski school, daycare facilities,

administrative and maintenance/operations facilities at the base would

be expanded and upgraded. Finally, Jackson Hole's Ski Area

infrastructure would be upgraded and expanded. An additional 2.9 miles

of roads on the mountain would be added to the existing 13.6 miles of

roads to provide access to the new lifts and 1,151 parking spaces would

be added to 1,100 spaces. Finally, utilities would be expanded to the

new facilities and upgraded to the existing facilities.

The purpose of and need for JHSC's proposal is to revise and update

the existing Master Plan to improve the quality of the ski experience

at Jackson Hole Ski Area while preserving and enhancing the unique

qualities of the Jackson Hole's Ski Area environs. The improvements

included in the proposal would enable Jackson Hole Ski Area to respond

to evolving customer preferences. The need to provide these

improvements arises from changes in the skiing market and changes in

Ski Area technology that have occurred since the current Master Plan

approved.

The decision to be made is whether or not to approve a Master Plan

revision for Jackson Hole Ski Area and to assure that any decision made

is consistent with the Bridger-Teton National Forest Land and Resource

Management Plan's direction.

Preliminary issues associated with this proposal include

transportation and parking, effects on visual resource, effects on

hydrology, effects on management of vegetation, and coordination with

Teton County's Master Planning efforts.

The FOREST SERVICE invites comments and suggestions on the scope of

the analysis to be documented in the draft environmental impact

statement (DEIS). In addition, the FOREST SERVICE gives notice that it

is beginning a full environmental analysis and decison-making process

for this proposal so that interested or affected people may know how

they may participate in the environmental analysis and contribute to

the final decision. A public ``scoping'' meeting is tentatively

scheduled for AUGUST 16, 1994 in Jackson, Wyoming. The purpose of this

meeting is to learn what issues and concerns members of the public or

interested agencies have that are connected to the proposal and should

be considered. Knowledge of these issues and concerns will help

establish the scope of the FOREST SERVICE's environmental analysis and

define the kind and range of alternatives to be considered. The

proposed action and the process of environmental analysis and

disclosure to be followed in evaluating this proposal will be described

and explained. The FOREST SERVICE welcomes any public comments on the

proposal.

The responsible Official will be the Forest Supervisor, Bridger-

Teton National Forest, P.O. Box 1888, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001.

We expect to publish a draft environmental impact statement in

January 1995, and to complete a final environmental impact statement by

the end of 1995.

The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will

be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes

the notice of availability in the Federal Register.

The FOREST SERVICE believes, at this early stage, it is important

to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public

participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of

draft environmental impact statements must structure their

participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is

meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and

contention. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation v. NRDC, 435 U.S.

519, 553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at

the draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised

after completion of the final environmental impact statement may be

waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F2d

1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490

F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,

it is very important that those interested in this proposal action

participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so that

substantive comments and objections are made available to the FOREST

SERVICE at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to

them in the final environmental impact statement.

To assist the FOREST SERVICE in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft

environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is

also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the

draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft

environmental impact statement or the merits of alternatives formulated

and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer to the

Council of Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the

procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40

CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points. Please note that comments you

make on the draft environmental impact statement will be regarded as

public information.

Benjamin T. Worthington,

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 94-18459 Filed 7-28-94; 8:45 am]

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